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Atlus' Disgaea was one of the surprise hits of 2003 -- while the game didn't break any sales records or anything, it came out of nowhere to widespread praise from critics and consumers alike. With the U.S. hardcore market finally getting its due, it's not at all surprising that newcomer Mastiff Games picked up another tactics title by Nippon Ichi, Disgaea's developer. La Pucelle: Tactics may not be particularly great to look at, but the gameplay is sure to please fans of the tactics genre.

Prier is a dangerous man.

Like its forbear, La Pucelle takes a very character-centric approach to the story. The three rag-tag centers of the world here are outspoken Prier, her little brother Culotte, and their mysterious babysitter, Alouette. All three are members of La Pucelle, a church-sponsored demon-hunting squad. Of course, not all is right in the world, or even within Prier's own holy organization -- the existence of another member named Noir (French for "black") is certain to be a little tip-off here. Demons and undead roam the world, and it's up to La Pucelle to defeat these wandering souls and purify the land.

Battles are done in a fairly standard tactical fashion, but Nippon Ichi pulls a few stunts to keep things interesting. First is the concept of purification: dark portals are scattered about the battle maps, releasing dark energy into the world and occasionally producing additional monsters to contend with. Not only can La Pucelle's members close these portals by purifying them, they can also strategically direct the dark energy pouring out of them at their enemies for additional damage and super attacks. Additionally, repeatedly purifying enemies will convert them to your side when you defeat them, allowing you to build and train a massive army of adorable monsters to help out our heroes. Character advancement is similarly nuanced -- in addition to the standard equipment and experience points, purifying dark portals upgrades your equipment, which will help upgrade your characters' stats. If some of these concepts sound a little strange, fear not -- the game's first chapter contains an excellent series of tutorials explaining the game's strategic quirks.